1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to dictation and transcription systems, and more particularly, to a disc receiving apparatus which can be utilized as a cartridge holder or as an output hopper, if a cartridge is not utilized, thereby, approximately, doubling disc storage capacity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, various types of dictation and transcription systems have been designed utilizing for information processing belts, tapes and discs. However, the primary effort has been in connection with tapes, and particularly, with the development of self-contained cartridges or cassettes. Cassettes provide a measure of convenience in storing, loading and unloading the record media. In addition, another important advantage of a self-contained cartridge or cassette is that an operator does not have to handle the record media, thereby affording protection to the record media against fingerprints, dirt, or other substances that would be dilatorious to the record media. As aforesaid, as far as can be determined, the primary effort in development of dictation and transcription systems have been in the cartridge or cassette area. These efforts, as far as can be determined have not been extended to disc recording and transcribing systems.
Notwithstanding, it is believed that dictation and transcription systems utilizing discs, and in particularly, the disc, itself, is superior to the aforementioned cassette systems and cassettes in general. For example, discs are cheaper and easier to handle. Also, discs can easily be transported using a standard envelope via the U.S. mailing system. The disc utilized in conjunction with the instant invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,035, filed June 23, 1971 by Ronald E. Hunt, et al, entitled "Recording Media Orientation," and assigned to the same assignee as this application. The aforementioned discs can record about 6 minutes of dictation. Moreover, it has been ascertained that six minutes of dictation is sufficient to cover at least 95% of the situations where business letters are the format, i.e., one letter per disc.
A dictation and transcription apparatus utilizing disc as a recording media is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,160, filed Dec. 20, 1971, by James D. Bruer, et al, entitled "Dictation Apparatus with Disc Loading, Feeding and Ejecting Feature," and assigned to the same assignee as this application. The system discloses an apparatus for accommodating a plurality of standard disc cartridges at a load station enabling convenient manual loading by an operator of the apparatus. Following the loading of the discs into the apparatus, the cartridge is thereupon moved to an eject (unload) station which serves to receive the discs, one by one, as they are processed in the apparatus.
Although, the aforementioned apparatus provides improvements in convenient and efficient structures for loading, feeding, and ejecting discs, it is apparent that improved structures for disc loading, for example, is necessary. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,948, filed Nov. 13, 1972, by William Melchior Jenkins, entitled "Disc Unloading Apparatus," and assigned to the same assignee as this application, discloses an apparatus for unloading discs from a disc cartridge when the cartridge is inserted into an intake hopper or a loading station of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,160 to Bruer et al, aforementioned. By incorporating the unloading apparatus, aforementioned, into the intake hopper of a dictation or transcription apparatus, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,789,160 to Bruer et al, enables discs to be removed from a cartridge and properly positioned in a time saving efficient manner.
As further background information, U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,784, filed Nov. 29, 1972, by Ronald Eugene Hunt et al, entitled "Information Media Handling System," having the same inventive entities and the same assignee as the instant application, discloses a cartridge and a hopper adopted to receive the cartridge, the improvement over the prior art being means to push to latch, push to unlatch the cartridge in the hopper. Although, the push to latch, push to unlatch feature of the aforementioned reference is utilized in combination in the instant invention, it should be noted that no other aspect of the instant invention is disclosed therein.
As still further background information, an apparatus for receiving and storing a number of record members (discs), and adopted to have record members unloaded therefrom is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,248, filed Apr. 20, 1973, by Ronald E. Hunt et al, entitled "Record Member Apparatus," having the same inventive entities and the same assignee as the instant application. The apparatus disclosed is a cartridge that can be used in conjunction with the instant invention.
The state of the prior are as indicated hereinabove, includes many advances in disc dictation and transcription apparatus including improvements in input hopper, output hopper, and cartridge systems. However, insofar as can be determined, no prior art output hopper or station incorporates the features and advantages of the instant invention.